Charity Ball Organisers Guide to Silent Auction Technology

Charity Ball Organisers Guide to Silent Auction Technology

Category: Guides | Events |

Are you in the process of planning a charity ball and debating whether or not silent auction technology in the form of tablets will benefit your event? Well look no further; this is your comprehensive guide to the pros and cons of tablets at charity balls.

1. Increasing Financial Contribution
The use of handheld tablets has become increasingly popular at charity events in recent years. Arguably the most important reason for this has been the role they play in increasing the financial contribution for the charity at the end of the evening.

Unlike previous silent auctions which are carried out through a paper system, by using tablets this enables bidders to bid again if someone else outbids them. The system can often be used to produce a leader board that can be projected onto screens around the event. This can bring in a competitive element to your evening which many guests find very entertaining – just like your own version of eBay!

2. Pre-event Auction WebsiteMany systems also offer a package which not only includes the tablets on the night but also a pre-event auction website. This website can be a huge advantage if you have a large number of lots in the silent auction as it allows guests to have a browse through prior to the event so that on the night they only use the tablets to place bids and spend less time browsing.

In addition to this, you can also list any live auction lots on this website which are often of a much higher value. By allowing guests to see these in advance they can plan for the higher expenditure that may be necessary to make themselves the winning bidder on the night or get the necessary corporate approval!

It is important to be mindful that, although guests are able to place bids on the website in advance of the event itself most (if not all) winning bids are placed on the night, which is something to keep in mind if you are on a tight budget as the website can be subject to a significant extra charge from the provider.

3. Sponsorship

Depending on the sponsorship packages that are already available at your event there is the possibility of getting the tablets sponsored and therefore offsetting the additional cost of using them in the first place. Most systems have the capability to add logos into the graphics on the tablets so you could have a loop of both the charity and sponsor’s logo on the tablet. Due to the popularity of silent auctions this is bound to be a sought after package!

4. Ease of Use

You only have to look around you on the tube or bus in London to realise just how many people have some kind of tablet to keep them busy on their commute. This in itself is a huge benefit when toying with the idea of using tablets at your next event as the majority of people are very comfortable using this type of technology. However, for those individuals who are not as experienced with tablets, the setup of most tablet systems is incredibly user friendly and there is often the opportunity to have experienced staff onsite to help guests with any queries.

If you would like to know more about using smart auction tablets at your next charity event please get in touch.

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